Kirill Meretskov

Kirill Meretskov (7 June 1897-30 December 1968) was a Marshal of the Soviet Union who commanded the Karelian Front during the Continuation War with Finland and the the Soviet Far East Front in Operation August Storm in World War II against Japan.

Biography
Kirill Meretskov was born on 7 June 1897 in Nazaryevo, Ryazan Governorate, Russian Empire. He joined the Bolsheviks in August 1917 and fought in the Russian Civil War, and he took on the nom de guerre of "General Pavlovich" during the Spanish Civil War while leading forces for Republican Spain. He was appointed commander of the Leningrad Military District in 1939 and was the initial commander of Red Army forces against Finland in the Winter War of 1940, and he led the Soviet 4th Army at the Battle of Moscow. Meretskov was given command of the Volkhov Front and fought against Nazi Germany at the Siege of Leningrad during World War II. Meretskov was transferred to the Karelian Front in February 1944, and he led Soviet forces against Finland once more; in late 1945 he led the Soviet Far East Front during Operation August Storm. In the aftermath of the war's end in September 1945, he took command of Soviet forces in North Korea. From 1947 to 1949 he led the Moscow Military District, and he died in 1968.